Mount Sinai Benefit/Pamella Roland Fashion Show

One of the many perks of being a fashion student: free access to fabulous fashion shows! Yesterday I was able to attend the Pamella Roland Fashion Show that was also for a benefit for a hospital, Mount Sinai, because some generous, anonymous (thank you kind stranger, whoever you may be!) person donated a couple tables to FIT. It was at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which I had never been to before, and it was so cool! Very historic opulent. The show was amazing; the garments were absolutely beautiful.

 

Of course I take pictures of food. I love food. The fashion show/benefit was also a luncheon, so here's the food. It was delicious! Especially that red velvet cake...like soooo good.

The Christmas decorations in the Grand Ballroom were so pretty! It definitely got me into the Christmas spirit.

Here's a shot from the final walk! The show really was fabulous, the dresses and gowns looked so flowy and feminine.

In my best Tyra voice, "WORLD RENOWN FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER NIGEL BARKER." Meeting celebs is always a crazy experience! Being the fashion school fangirls that we are, we could not pass up an opportunity to get a picture with the studly judge from ANTM.

Obviously it was a great, once in a lifetime experience. Hopefully there are more to come!

Creative Fashion Presentations : Final Project

So the original purpose of this blog was for a class called Creative Fashion Presentations. We've had other assignments as well, including creating a new line for a brand and a fashion video. I'm going to try my best to keep this up; we'll see how that goes! Below is the video project, or "What Not To Wear: Collegiate Edition." My group took the classic makeover show and gave it a twist, hope you enjoy it!




Are you impressed, Stacy London?

Fashion Icons: Past and Present

As fashion students - heck, as females - we all have people we look up to and draw inspiration from. Whether it be celebrities, designers, models, socialites - whoever.

Personally, I admire the style of women from a different eras.

 

One is Audrey Hepburn. But who doesn't love her? Her style was so classic and elegant. Her iconic little black dress in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" paired with the gloves and the necklace is something all women wish they had an excuse to wear!

My other favorite fashion icon is Lauren Conrad. Her style is so feminine and girly, and completely flattering. She is an expert at choosing pretty patterns, fun prints, and vibrant colors. I'm obsessed.

Front Row at Burberry...Sort of.

This post is about new formats technologies that designers are using in their shows to make it more interesting or accessible. In February, Burberry had a live stream on their website of their Fall 2012 show. This way, people at home who were not invited to the show could still experience it and feel as it they were there. Viewing it online also allows you to "Explore the Look," so you can see each item individually and how they put together the outfit.

Here is a link to the show!
http://uk.burberry.com/store/shows/#/aw12-womenswear/show

Burberry did this again in September for their Spring 2013 collection, so perhaps this will be an ongoing event for them.

Looky here...

This post is about lookbooks! I personally really love lookbooks. I like to be able to see all the different pieces from a collection and how they are styled and worn. As an example, I've taken some screen shots from the Paper Crown Fall 2012 online lookbook.

The first and last pages of the lookbook are the same shot from the front and back. I just thought this was a very cute idea.

Here are a few looks from the lookbook. I like how the model is in motion so you get a sense of the movement of the garments. I also like how they didn't do anything crazy with the model's hair or make up. So easy to picture yourself wearing these!

This is my favorite look in the lookbook. It's very school-girl chic and uber feminine. It's also so true to Lauren Conrad's style, which I love. 

Trunk Shows: The Runway Alternative

Many designers opt to do trunk shows rather than fashion shows. At a trunk show, the designer/company has their new collection on display for buyers to look through. The buyers can place orders right then and there for what they like and want to sell for the next season.

My roommate is an intern at Shoshanna, so she was actually working their trunk show at ENK International Fashion Coterie. She was able to observe her superiors' relationships with buyers, fill orders, and learn more about the inner workings of the fashion industry.

Marc Goes Mod

By now, weeks after NYFW has been over, we've all seen pictures and videos from all the shows. But I'm going to go ahead and highlight one of the best ones from the season: Marc Jacobs.

This show was FANTASTIC. I really liked the simple backdrop/runway, so nothing was distracting from the clothes. The collection very obviously has a mod 60s theme to it, with the black-and-white op-art patterns on the garments. Black and white are very interesting colors to showcase for spring, but I like it. It's also interesting to see the dropped waistlines after so many seasons of high-waisted pants. Another thing I noticed was that the models were all wearing flats or very short heels. I love it! It fit right in with the theme of his collection, and is more realistic to what most women wear.

This piece was my favorite, which you can see in the video just after the 4-minute mark:

Once Upon A Time...

New York City is one of the major shopping capitals of the world. How do they do it? Their luxury stores draw in customers with elaborate and creative window displays. This weekend I ventured up to Bloomingdale's on 59th and Lexington to see at what their windows look like now.

Right now, a series of 7 of their windows feature scenes from ABC's show "Once Upon A Time." The show is about a town called "Storybrooke," where the townspeople are actually characters from various fairy tales.

The first window is a screen advertising the show, and posters of all the characters: Rumpelstiltskin, The Evil Queen, The Hope, Snow White, and the Prince.

The rest show scenes from all the fairy tales: sleighing the dragon, being rescued by the prince, and the queen reveling in evil.

While I do think yes, these are rather commercial since they advertise a television show, but they are still very interesting to look at. They stop passersby and shoppers in their tracks. Perhaps they evoke a sense of nostalgia for childhood when every girl wanted to be a princess. Or perhaps they see that red leather jacket and think I NEED THAT. Either way, such creativity draws consumers into the stores. And if it is that leather jacket you want, the brands of all the clothes are listed on the windows along with the floors they can be found on.

Blogception

This week's blog post is about another blog...thus, blogception. As I'm sure many people know, Cathy Horyn is a fashion critic for the New York Times, and she is a major contributor to the blog in the Fashion & Style section, "On The Runway." I'm going to look at a post she did from September 27, which can be found here.

In this article, Horyn reviews the Balenciaga show from Paris Fashion Week. She uses incredible picturesque language when describing the shows, and makes it so easy to visualize the garments:

SILHOUETTE/DESIGN:

• lean tailoring
• squared-off tops with Catholic overtones
• almost an apron
• flared skirt

FABRIC:

• fabrics were not belabored
• a new type of crepe de chine
• pliable and light
• white lace
• knit tops
• lacquered doily

DETAIL

• a ruffle crawling up the leg
• stripped down
• pleated
• embroidered
• black thorns
• barbed wire
• pinstripe

COLOR

• white lace
• black thorns

I think Horyn does a great job of conveying the image of the clothes into the reader's mind. She makes it easy to imagine what they look like.

NYC Street Style: The Evolution of the Combat Boot

The combat boot. We've seen it in and out of style since Marc Jacobs' iconic grunge collection from the 90s. Over the last year or so, I've noticed that it's quickly making its way back into fashion. They started out so basic - black, brown, grey. But more recently, designers are taking them a step further with more details and embellishment. Check it out.

I wore my combat boots to explore Central Park last year. Basic black faux leather - so easy to throw on and match to virtually anything. The brown ones belong to my roommate, this picture is from about 6 months ago. Pair em with some tights, a mini and some denim, and you're good to go!

These are some combat boots I've seen over the last few days. Designers are getting more and more creative with ways to dress up these boots or make them stand out - from studs to mixing fabrics. My roommate recently started a blog and made a post about boots, and it inspired a friend to go ahead and get this brown studded pair. My friend Melissa also just got hers, with a blanket-esque lining to show off when you fold the top over.

Steve Madden is my favorite shoe designer. I fall in love with everything he does. Here are some really great choices from him right now: The Tropador, with going halfway up the leg and decked out with studs if you like some edge; the Ladiluck, which also come in black, but I thought this was a great new color I haven't seen too much of; and the Taco, which I think give off a more laid back, comfy look.

*All images were taken by either me or my roommate, with the exception of the Steve Madden boots, which came from his website.

Sweater Savvy

Fall is almost upon us! Get ready to pull out those boots, jackets, and scarves from the trenches of your closet. Know what else is almost upon us? NEXT FALL. Or that's what designers and retailers at least will be thinking about in the next few months, if they're not already. Being a fashion student with access to trend forecasting sites, I've determined one, among many, key items for Fall/Winter 2013: The Oversized Sweater.

Everyone loves the oversized pullover. They are comfy, easy to throw on over leggings or jeans, and look so effortlessly chic. Most of us already have a few of these in our wardrobes that will get the job done, but be sure to keep an eye out for more next year with new colors, patterns, and fabrics.

These two are from Alexander Wang's Cruise/Resort 2013 Collection, but can easily transition into a staple piece for fall.

Celebrity inspiration is always something to look to when deciding how to wear a garment. Here Rachel Zoe pairs her oversized sweater with a trouser while Selena Gomez wears hers with leggings and ballet flats. Both looks are acceptable for something as casual as a day out shopping or a dinner with friends.

So next fall when you're deciding what you need to add to your wardrobe or what you can wear from your existing one, remember the sweaters!

*All images courtesty of Style Sight.

Fabulous Fashion Blogs

Like that alliteration? There's a lot more where that came from :) Here's a few of my favorite fashion blogs, they're definitely worth a look!


Number One: Whatever Eva Wants

Eva Chen is an editor for Teen Vogue, and this is her personal blog. For photos and thoughts on the latest trends, upcoming collections, and health and beauty tips, this is the place to go.

Number Two: Lauren Conrad

Everyone's favorite ex-reality star: Lauren Conrad. Her website has a ton of different sections: fashion, health/beauty, food, etc. But the fashion (or "wear") section is prime: she picks an occasion or event, like an interview, first date, or girls' night, and gives a few different outfit recommendations. Love it!

Number Three: The Fashion Student

And last but not least, The Fashion Student. Surprise: she actually goes to FIT! And her blog is awesome. She does sort of fashion stories: she'll put together an outfit or go to an event, post a ton of pictures, and give them captions or narrate what's going on.